FDick 8144730 12" Premier Chef's Knife

This knife makes short work of large volumes of produce. Over the past month, I used this knife for everything from chopping carrots and tomatoes, to mincing garlic and slicing basil. It rocks back and forth very smoothly, gliding through whatever you have on the board.

As you would expect, this knife works great for slicing large items, like melons and squash. However, even for basic chopping tasks like carrots, beets, and celery, I've found it outperforms my other knives on larger quantities. And shines when it comes to doing thin meat cuts - I made some delicious turkey schnitzels!

Having been using this knife daily for over a month, I've noticed it needs honing more frequently than my smaller FDick 9" Premier knife. This is because with the larger heavier blade, more stress is placed on the part of the blade that contacts the board as you work with it. The edge retention is still far better than other 12" knives I've seen. I suggest taking extra care to hone it regularly. Properly cared for, I expect this knife can last a lifetime.

A few suggestions if you are considering a 12" chef knife. You will also need:
1. Large cutting board, at least 12" by 18"
2. 14" honing steel to maintain it. I have been using the FDick sapphire cut classic (https://www.tigerchef.com/fdick-7598135-14-sapphire-cut.html)
3. A method to store it. This knife is too large for most knife blocks. My preference is a magnetic knife holder.

Full tang, full bolster, with classic triple rivet handle
Material: X50CrMoV15, tempered high carbon steel (stain-resistant) hardened to HRC56.
Weight: 412g
Overall Length: 17 3/8"
Handle length: 5 1/4"
Blade length: 11 3/4"
Blade width (top-to-edge, at handle): 2 3/16 inch

Functionality: 5/5
+The blade is sturdy, thick, and doesn't flex. It's what you would expect of a high-end German classic style chef knife.
+Large comfortable handle.
+Excellent bolster design. It has a low profile and stops about 1/8" short of the cutting edge, so that it doesn't interfere with cutting.
+Very good edge retention.
+-Not for tasks requiring precise maneuvering of the tip of blade (like dicing an onion). Smaller, lighter knives, like the FDick Eurasia are much better suited for those tasks (https://www.tigerchef.com/fdick--8144821k-8-eurasia-chefs.html).
+-Balancing point of this knife sits 1.5" in front of the bolster. So even when holding the knife in a pinch grip, it feels a little front heavy. This is typical for 12" knives.

Fit and Finish: 5/5
+Perfect angle on the edge profile. 15 degrees out of box.
+Excellent detailing. The top of the blade as well as the areas around the handle and bolter are polished. No touchup was necessary.
+Excellent handle integration. I don't feel any gaps, or metal protruding around the handle rivets or transition areas (metal-plastic).
+Edge bevel width is consistent on both sides of the blade.

Value: 5/5
+Lower cost than comparable 12" German chef knives (like the Wusthof Classic, priced at $200)